A Multiple Case Study On China’s Local Colleges’ Transformation To Entrepreneurial University

The goal of the research is to analyse the special phenomenon that China proposes that all of its entrepreneurial universities are local schools, and the actual implementation of this transformation is the focus. The dissertation attempts to answer two questions. One is the theory of the aforementioned transformation, i.e. what is an entrepreneurship-based education, and why local schools should be transformed, and the other is to summarise the common features through cases studies done on Zhejiang University of Agriculture and Forestry, Fuzhou University and Yiwu Business Institute ofTAFE.Chapters1and2concentrate on theories. This dissertation begins from the analysis of western entrepreneurial universities, analyses its logical and realistic causes, and points out that the construction of the innovative nation is the driving force behind the development of such universities. Entrepreneurial universities are rich in innovation and spontaneous reform, and they share inner rules regarding capacity and organisation, which signifies that the infusion of innovation concept and skills being the core of education, as well as the emphasis on research and capital efficiency. In addition, the construction of a system that facilitates academic creativity and transformation, conflict management, tolerance, openness and innovation will also be proposed.Chapter3analyses the difference between the theoretical propensity of ’entrepreneurship can only be achieved by research universities’and the fact that ’China proposes that all of its entrepreneurial universities being local schools’and comes to the conclusion that entrepreneurship can also be achieved by non-research universities. The concern that this theory may’degrade’universities is one of the most important reasons why it is the relatively weak local schools but not the powerful research universities that advocate the entrepreneurship transformation. The diversity of entrepreneurial universities and the difficulties facing local schools have provided insight into the strategy choice for the transformation of local schools.Chapters4,5and6are case studies, and the research is carried out by interviewing the managers of the institutions and studying the policies, news, conference notes and other relevant materials. The rationale behind entrepreneurial transformation, actual measures, driving logic and points of attention are analysed in detail, along with actual cases of the Zhejiang University of Agriculture and Forestry, Fuzhou University and Yiwu Business Institute of TAFE. The Zhejiang University of Agriculture and Forestry has succeeded in the activation of academic spirit, Fuzhou University has explored the external environment of development, and the Yiwu Business Institute of TAFE has chosen entrepreneurship education as the breaking point.Chapter7contains the summary and analysis of the experience gained by the three aforementioned institutions and comes to the conclusion that the activation of academic spirit should be the driving force for the local schools’ transformation into entrepreneurial universities, and the structure of’grasping the core-design of systems-academic gaining’ and the management style of ’academic production system entrepreneurship management system’ should both be generated and adopted. The government should further diversify the higher education market, provide more resources for entrepreneurial universities, and make better use of the co-ordinated innovation plan for its construction.